This invention relates generally to apparatus for making flour tortillas. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus for forming flour tortillas and similar products under heat and pressure.
Tortillas are a staple food product in many areas of the United States. The increasing popularity of Mexican food restaurants has also increased the familiarity and demand for tortillas. Known U.S. patents relating to this area are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,379,141 issued to Gorth, 4,197,792 issued to Mendoza, and 4,241,648 issued to Longenecker.
A tortilla making machine must be capable of taking a round ball of dough and forming it into a uniform disc. Generally the forming machine will also heat the tortilla so that it can be flattened and handled by a conveying mechanism.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tortilla making machine which is much faster than hand-making tortillas yet which provides a unformly shaped tortilla which has similar characteristics to a hand-made tortilla. It is another object of the invention to provide a tortilla making machine which has few moving parts and is simple to operate. It is another object of the invention to provide a tortilla making machine that is structurally simple, reliable and inexpensive to build and operate. It is another object of the invention to provide a tortilla making machine which heats the tortillas as they are compressed to facilitate handling. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure.